Warding off potential trouble
If you book your airline ticket with a third-party site instead of directly with the airline, call the carrier directly after making the reservation to confirm the ticket and the seat assignment.
Arturo Gayod
Glendale
Be careful what you leave in your passport. My 25-yearold grandson was returning from a business trip to Japan, and upon entering the U.S., he handed the official his passport, forgetting he had placed the unused yen in the passport for safekeeping. The official assumed my grandson was trying to bribe him. He was detained so long he missed his connecting flight.
Joyce Parkhurst
Long Beach
Never give customs or immigration attitude. Answer their questions politely, and do not challenge what they say. A bad attitude could mean an interruption to your vacation. The same applies to airport security.
Jo-Anne Collins
Fountain Valley
Make sure the expiration date of your passport falls within the regulations of the country you’re visiting. Some countries will not let you enter unless your passport has three and sometimes six months remaining or has a certain number of blank pages. Make sure you check entry requirements. We learned the hard way at LAX as we were getting ready to go to Costa Rica and couldn’t get on the plane. [Editor’s note: Check entry/exit requirements for foreign countries by going to the State Department website page for your destination: www.travel .state.gov.]
Cherrie L akey
Long Beach
Always know how many rows of seats separate you from the nearest emergency exit on the plane. Your nearest exit could be behind you. Count the rows as soon as you board. When a plane fills with smoke, you can’t see where you are going. If need be, get on you hands and knees to get to the exit. There are emergency lights on the floor to lead you.
Jo-Anne Collins
Fountain Valley
When making a hotel reservation in another country, always make sure it is made for the correct town. My friends and I wanted to meet in Málaga, Spain, which is what the website said. Turned out the hotel was in Marbella, an hour’s bus ride from where we wanted to be. Lovely beach town, though.
Shoshana Brower
Westlake Village
If you travel by taxi in a foreign country (particularly Italy), never hand the fare to the driver. Have him produce what is due you in return and then make an exchange. Example: If the fare is 32 euros and you give the driver two 20s, expecting 8 euros as change, he may pocket one of the 20s and replace it with a 10 and insist you owe him 2 more euros.
Jim Morrow
Culver City
When visiting places where they drive on the left, you’ll live longer if you train yourself to look both ways before crossing streets. That’s easier than trying to remember to look to the right.
Greg and Charlotte Nelson
Mission Viejo